### Report by Yomiuri, As of the End of Last Year
According to a report from Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun, as of December last year, the number of Japanese citizens registered with their permanent residence in Dokdo totaled 112. This is a 4.3-fold increase compared to 2005.
According to the Japanese family register law, it is possible to change one’s permanent residence to any region where Japan claims territorial rights, regardless of actual residence.
The Japanese government incorporated Dokdo, naming it “Takeshima,” into the administrative district of Shimane Prefecture in January 1905, and announced this on February 22 of the same year.
Since then, Shimane Prefecture has designated February 22 as “Takeshima Day” and has been holding annual commemorations since 2006. When the Japanese government revealed the population registered with Dokdo as their permanent residence in 2005, it was only 26.
Meanwhile, on the 22nd, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement strongly protesting Japan’s repeated unjust territorial claims over Dokdo and urging the immediate abolition of the “Takeshima Day” events.